New Year's Resolution

Good day, classmates! Since 2012 is fast approaching, I would like to share this site with you! This site contains tips that might help you build your new year's resolution. I know some of you are already busy preparing for the celebration of this coming year, but it wouldn't be a waste of time if you will visit this site. Enjoy reading!

http://ibdcrohns.about.com/cs/mentalhealth/a/newyearresolve.htm

It's Christmas time! Perhaps, we are preparing for our Christmas Eve; I feel the same way too. In fact, I looked up on the recipe for a no-bake cake, then I observed that one ingredient on the list is excluded on the steps. Please visit: http://pinoykusina.blogspot.com/2006/12/graham-cake-refrigerator-cake.html
Thank you. Merry Christmas!


Reference:
Graham Cake (Refrigerator Cake). 2006, December 15. Retrieved December 24, 2011 from the World Wide Web: http://pinoykusina.blogspot.com/2006/12/graham-cake-refrigerator-cake.html

Big Things Starts from Smaller One

When I was in high school, I thought that prepositions are just single-worded part of speech that is why they are really dangerous specially in academic writing. But then I've crossed into some kind called "complex prepositions" that are not single-worded one. Complex prepositions are a word group that functions as a single preposition that may be two-word or three-word.. 

Some examples are:

  In addition to single-word preposition, there are others called complex preposition.

  She is a great composer  as well as  a great Musical Director.

  There are garbage  in front of  the door.

Any Negatives and Some Positives

Have you ever been confused between the determiners any and some? Well, here’s a little trick: if the statement is positive, we use some (“Could you get me some water?”). On the other hand, if the statement is negative, we use any (“Sorry, I do not have any.”). However, any can also be used in a positive statement if it comes after a word with a negative or limiting meaning (“That network rarely gives any bad news.”). Some and any are also used to state questions answerable by yes or no.

Any vs. Some


Do you have any paper?(Question)

• No, I don't have any.(Negative)
• Yes, I have some.(Positive)

Both Any and Some are used to indicate indefinite amount or number. Some is more preferable to be used in positive clauses, while "Any" is more preferable to be used in negative clauses. 

Which is Which

I have a hard time every time I deal with my "favorite" prepositions namely: in, on, and at. These prepositions can be used to indicate time or denote place.

When indicating time, we use "in" for months and years, "on" for days and dates, and "at" for specific time.

While we use "in" for an enclosed space, "on" for a surface, and "at" for a point when denoting place.

Reference:
http://www.englishclub.com/grammar/prepositions-at-in-on-place.htm
http://www.englishclub.com/grammar/prepositions-at-in-on-time.htm

Here's a link explaining more about these:
http://www.eslgold.com/grammar/in_on_at.html

It is eight days to go before Christmas!
I searched about the meaning of "Xmas" because of confusion that people eliminate "Christ" from Christmas. "The X in Xmas is actually the Greek letter Chi, which was a common abbreviation of Kristos, Christ's name". Please visit this site: http://phrogz.net/xmas


Reference:
Xmas vs. Christmas : Xmas isn't the work of the devil. (n.d.). Retrieved December 17, 2011 from the World Wide Web: http://phrogz.net/xmas

Adverbs from A to Z

Good day! I want to share this link with you, classmates! This site contains list of adverbs that can help us understand more about adverbs. The adverbs that are given here are listed from A to Z. I hope that you will visit this site because some keypoints are also available here about the proper usage of adverbs. Enjoy reading! :)

http://www.momswhothink.com/reading/list-of-adverbs.html

Problems with Prepositions

Sometimes, we use unnecessary prepositions in a sentence. There is also a rule on the site says that you may end a sentence with a preposition but don't use extra prepositions when the meaning unclear without them.

Example: She wouldn't let the cat inside of the house.

Omit the preposition "of".

The correct sentence should be "She wouldn't let the cat inside the house."

http://www.grammarbook.com/grammar/probPrep.asp

Prepositions

Hello. I want to share this link. It talks about prepositions. It has a list and a guideline on how we should use them properly. You can also download it since it is in the pdf format. Hope it can help you since we'll discuss about it. Happy Holidays!

http://www.uhv.edu/ac/efl/pdf/Prepositions.pdf

EXCEPTIONAL COMPARATIVES

We usually use the word than when comparing. But I found an exemption to this rule. The comparatives senior, junior, superior, inferior etc., are followed by to, and not than. Here as some examples:

Incorrect: This paper is inferior than that.
Correct: This paper is inferior to that.
Incorrect: He is junior than me.
Correct: He is junior to me.
Incorrect: He is superior than you in strength.
Correct: He is superior to you in strength.

I never thought that there are words in which the use of than in comparison would be inappropriate. Now I will not be too hastily in using than. :)

Reference:  http://www.englishpractice.com/grammar/common-errors-prepositions-2/ 

Merry Christmas everyone!

While I was browsing the net and looking for a topic for our blog, I came across a site that tackled on Phrasal Verbs. The site featured a search engine in which a user could look up the verb or preposition of a phrasal verb. Try to take the quiz.

http://www.usingenglish.com/reference/phrasal-verbs/

Anyway Vs. Anyways

One of the frequent errors in speaking English is saying "anyways" instead of "anyway". I noticed that even UP students make this common mistake. "Anyway" is the right word to use. This is similar with saying "anything" because "any" is always accompanied by a noun in its singular form. Therefore, you don't say "anythings", "anywheres", and "anyways".

Here is a link I would like to share with the class regarding my blog:
http://www.dailywritingtips.com/anyway-any-way-or-anyways/

Every new beginning comes from some other beginning's end

In today’s world, people are and must always be on the go. A person’s day wouldn’t be complete without struggling and surviving through the hustle and bustle of this modern epoch. We tend to forget a lot of things when there is so much to do in so little time. But there is one simple thing that we must never forget even if we are caught up with the razzles and dazzles of this busy world - placing PERIODS when writing/finishing sentences. It is important that we know the proper and appropriate uses of this punctuation mark when writing or typing academic papers.

Here's a link that will help us understand the punctuation mark Period [.] better:

http://grammar.ccc.commnet.edu/grammar/marks/period.htm

Let's not forget to end our sentences properly. If things have proper endings/closure, it will be easier for us to move on. :)

- Mikko I. Ong, 08-07976

Mnemonic? Is that a sickness?

This was taken from an article advertised by Yahoo! News. (http://www.doctoroz.com/videos/doctors-bust-medical-myths-and-lies?page=6)

The word "Pneumonic" means "pertaining to, or affecting the lungs". It could also mean "pertaining to or affected by pneumonia". Since the article doesn't mention anything about the lungs" or pneumonia, I assume the authors made a mistake. It dawned to me that maybe many people confuse "pneumonic" with "mnemonic", which means "something intended to assist the memory, as a verse or a formula". Some examples of mnemonics are "MVEMJSUN", which refers to the planets in our solar system, and "SOHCATOA", which aids us in remembering what the trigonometric functions. Although "pneumonic" and "mnemonic" sound almost exactly alike, they have very different meanings. I hope we remember the word "mnemonic" everytime we see examples such as "LEGAPAS", which you could guess the meaning of. Have fun.

References:

mnemonic. (n.d.). Dictionary.com Unabridged. Retrieved December 10, 2011, from Dictionary.com website: http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/mnemonic

pneumonic. (n.d.). Dictionary.com Unabridged. Retrieved December 10, 2011, from Dictionary.com website: http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/pneumonic

Split Infinitives

Split infinitives are formed when an adverb is placed between to and a verb. Some people thought that they were grammatically incorrect that's why they would rewrite the sentence. As they rewrite the sentence, they change the emphasis and thought of the sentence. The question now would be to avoid split infinitives or not. Some says that one should avoid them in formal writing, but it depends.

Here's the link:

http://oxforddictionaries.com/page/grammartipsplitinfinitive

exception

We were usually being told that adverbs could be placed before or after the verb it modifies; but there are some adverbs that have precise rules. They are very much, very well, a lot and at all. These adverbs should be placed after the direct object complement.

Example:

Laurent speaks English very well, but he doesn't know England at all.

She criticises her husband a lot and she likes shouting against him very much.

Very much can also be placed before a verb, specially when the complement is very long.

Example:

I very much like sleeping out on a warm summer night.

building forceful sentances

In our everyday life we communicate with other people. We say different words, phrases, expressions, sentences etc. we construct sentences not knowing that they might not that good to hear or they are ungrammatical. So here is a site sharing methods of shaping words into sentences. enjoy reading! :)

http://grammar.about.com/od/basicsentencegrammar/a/basicstructures.htm

Adjectives vs. Adverbs


There are cases where one can't clearly identify whether a word is an adjective or an adverb. In these cases, he/she must always remember that an adjective modifies a noun or a pronoun, on the other hand, an adverb modifies verbs, adjectives, and adverbs.


http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/536/01/

For exercises,
http://owl.english.purdue.edu/exercises/2/2/8/

Why Study Adverbs?

Why do we really need to study adverbs? Can't we just focus on nouns, pronouns, verbs, and adjectives? It's been a while since I reflected on the importance of adverbs. Adverbs are words/phrases that could intensify the emotion or thought of another part of speech. We must use adverbs so that we could be able to stress out and emphasize on important notes.

Oxymorons

I got curious when I saw the word "oxymoron". Oxymoron is a figure of speech where contradictory terms are combined. For example, mournful optimist. Mournful means expressing sorrow while optimist means positive thinker. They are opposite but combined.

For more examples:

http://www.oxymorons.info/

Royal Order of Adverbs

Like the Royal Order of Adjectives, there is also the Royal Order of Adverbs. When a writer use more than one adverb in a sentence, there should be an order to be followed in order to easily read and understand it. Here is a link so all of us can review about the royal order of adverbs.

http://www.dailywritingtips.com/royal-order-of-adverbs/

With -ly or no -ly?

A special -ly rule applies when four of the senses - taste, smell, look, feel - are the verbs. Do not ask if these senses answer the question how to determine if -ly should be attached. Instead, ask if the sense verb is being used actively. If so, use the -ly.

reference: http://www.grammarbook.com/grammar/adjAdv.asp

Maybe VS May Be

Have you experienced being confused on the use of the words Maybe and May be? I usually encounter that dilemma and everytime I ask someone their difference, no one can give me an exact answer/explanation.   When I searched it on the internet, it says "Maybe (one word) is an adverb meaning perhaps. May be (two words) is a verb phrase showing possibility".

Example:
I heard that our instructor may be absent today. Maybe class will be canceled.


Reference: http://grammar.about.com/od/words/a/maybegloss.htm

It is important to know what grammar means. We usually accompany grammar with correctness or errors. However, knowing about it helps us make a clear sentence. I read an article written by Michelle Pierce entitled, Three Grammar Rules You Can (And Should) Break and it will surely help us know grammar better.

Reference:

Pierce, M. (n. d.). Three Grammar Rules You Can (And Should) Break. Retrieved December 10, 2011 from the World Wide Web: http://www.copyblogger.com/grammar-rules-to-break/

-ANGENICA F. MARTIREZ

Functions of Adverb Phrases

Let us move on to the Adverb phrases. They are formed by an adverb and any modifier. It is important to know the primary grammatical functions of Adverb phrases in the English language. Here's the list:
1. Adverb phrase head
2. Adjective phrase modifier
3. Adverb phrase modifier
4. Verb phrase modifier
5. Adverbial
6. Adjunct

The site tackles its uses and several examples for learners.The proper usage of different adverb phrases must be learned to be comfortable enough while using them in daily conversations. If you desire for a printable study sheet, the site below provides one.


http://www.brighthub.com/education/languages/articles/34644.aspx

More collective nouns, please! :)

We all know that collective nouns are important in the English world. They are often used to indicate a group of people, things, animals, etc. I want to share this link with you. I think this link would be very helpful because we have a limited knowledge when it comes to collective nouns. I also found this site very entertaining. I hope that you will visit this site. Enjoy reading! :)

http://www.inspirationline.com/Brainteaser/gaggle.htm

Guess my Mood

To be able to determine the manner in which a statement is made, it is necessary to know the mood of the verb. This is sometimes called the mode of the verb because it refers to the attitude about or an interpretation of the idea being expressed in a statement. Basically, the English language has three moods:

Indicative – states a fact or supposition; asks a question

Subjunctive – qualifies the truth of the statement

Imperative – expresses a command

 

Reference:

Be Your Own English Teacher! Grammar Review (2004). Milflores Publishing, Inc.

Further Readings: http://englishplus.com/grammar/00000031.htm